It's no secret that Texas is a state with its own unique character. A big part of this special culture is sports' significance. Whether it's the prolific and passion-filled high school football rivalries or the state's 11 major league sports franchises, sports are everywhere in the Lonestar State. Here are three of the very best moments from that legacy.
3. San Antonio Spurs Complete Their Dynasty
Starting in the late 1990s, the San Antonio Spurs were a dominant force in the NBA. Anchored by perennial all-stars Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, the Spurs won 5 NBA Championships from 1999 to 2014, establishing coach Gregg Popovich as one of the all-time greats setting a new bar for small market sports franchises. The culmination of this era came with a pair of back-to-back NBA Finals match-ups against the Miami Heat, who superstar LeBron James led. The Spurs came up short in 2013 but came back for revenge in 2014, defeating the Heat in only five games to win their fifth title.
2. Dallas Cowboys 90s Titles
In the early 1990s, the Dallas Cowboys experienced great success behind the offensive firepower of quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith. This combination brought two Super Bowl titles to Dallas, both against the Buffalo Bills. Super Bowl XXVII at the end of the 1992 season was something of a coronation for the Cowboys, cementing their dominance of the NFL at the time. They resoundingly defeated the Bills 52-17 to win their first Lombardi Trophy since the 1970s, earning the admiration of Texans everywhere.
1. Vince Young Runs into the History Books
As the 2005 NCAA college football season unfolded, it became clear that two teams stood head and shoulders above all the rest. The USC Trojans finished the season 12-0 while the Texas Longhorns were 11-0, and both were winning their games by wide margins over the competition, setting up an epic clash in the National Championship game that year. Longhorn quarterback Vince Young threw for 467 yards and ran for three touchdowns, the last of which gave the Longhorns the lead for good with less than a minute to go. As Texas won the title that year, confetti rained down on the celebrating Young in an image that Longhorn fans will remember forever.
